Tororo residents cry for help as diabetes hits hard
Women queue to get treatment during the diabetes and cancer awareness campaign held in Tororo District at the end of April. photo by Pauline Bangirana.
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Etyang said as an association, they have recruited members to go into the villages and sensitise others about diabetes and cancer. “We have many people joining the association from districts such as Manafwa, Busia, Bunyole and Pallisa and this implies that there are many people who are sick and are unaware. Also, those who are sick, live far away and cannot regularly seek medical assistance,” Etyang notes
Residents of Tororo District through the Tororo District Association have expressed need for a proper centre for non-communicable diseases.
This was during a cancer and diabetes awareness and prevention campaign in Magola Sub-county in Tororo District by German Pharmaceutical Company, Merck, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Makerere University and the Uganda Diabetes Association.
The campaign held on Thursday, April 23, focused on sensitising and teaching the public good health-seeking habits in diabetes and cancer.
“The problems are bigger than just having drugs and we want to help in the prevention of diabetes and cancer in Uganda.” Stefan Maron, the managing director Merck, shared. With inadequate resources, this causes a gap in service delivery and dealing with such diseases is hard due to limited funds.
Speaking during the campaign, the State minister for Primary Health Care and Woman MP, Tororo District, Sarah Opendi, urged the public to go for early screening so that if one is diagnosed with a disease, it is treated early.
“The risk factors for cancer and diabetes are very similar, and there are more deaths in the world from cancer and diabetes than from malaria and HIV/Aids combined and through integration and working together, we will help prevent these non-communicable diseases,” David Kerr, professor of cancer medicine from Oxford shared.
Aaron Christian Etyang, the chairman Tororo Diabetic Patients’ Association shared that there are many diabetic patients in the district.
“It is a problem we realised after calling our first association meeting. At the moment, there are about 300 known patients but there are many more in the villages who are unaware of their diabetic conditions and we lack space.”
Etyang said as an association, they have recruited members to go into the villages and sensitise others about diabetes and cancer. “We have many people joining the association from districts such as Manafwa, Busia, Bunyole and Pallisa and this implies that there are many people who are sick and are unaware. Also, those who are sick, live far away and cannot regularly seek medical assistance,” Etyang notes.
The district has allocated land to the association and they are trying to lobby the hospital staff to help them get support so that they can construct a centre for the diabetes’ association.
“We are glad that the Merck Company that is coming in to help and support our association although we are not sure of the amount of funds since they will be determined by the project.” The chairman said.
Dr Nelson Naisye from Tororo Hospital said according to the results analysed on the day of the campaign, diabetes was the major disease diagnosed, followed closely by high blood pressure. “We cannot determine cancer now because it takes long for it to manifest,” he said.
The vice president Merck Rusha Kelej, advised people to eat healthy, exercise regularly, avoid smoking and taking alcohol as abstinence from these, helps in the prevention of cancer and diabetes.
